


forever.

by DoctorFitzy (KittooningMalijah)



Series: Hauntober 2020 [8]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Date Night, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hauntober, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, had to write this to make me and him feel better, i hurt deke yesterday and i felt bad, the happiness they deserve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:40:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26896111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittooningMalijah/pseuds/DoctorFitzy
Summary: Trevor makes fancy reservations for date night.
Relationships: Trevor Khan/Deke Shaw
Series: Hauntober 2020 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948561
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	forever.

**Author's Note:**

> for Hauntober day 8: "lantern"

"Do I  _ have  _ to wear a tie?"

Frowning to himself in the mirror, Deke adjusted the fabric around his neck again. It refused to lay just so, and he was about thirty seconds away from ripping it off and burning it. That would probably improve the color, too, if he thought about it. But he couldn't do that, not when they had  _ fancy reservations _ for date night, and his boyfriend had asked him very nicely, with big eyes and the promise of kisses, if he would  _ please _ dress up, just this once. So he had no choice. He had to wear the tie, even if it was the only one he owned and the color did absolutely nothing for him.

"Yes, you do." From his spot in the doorway, Trevor watched him with a fond smile and a small shade of his head. "You can take it off as soon as we get home, or even in the car after dinner, but you have to wear it  _ at _ dinner."

He let out a huff of complaint, turning around to look over at him with his frown still pointedly in place. If he had to wear a tie, he would, but he was going to complain the entire time. At least, the plan was to complain through every second until he saw the smile aimed at him, the genuine happiness there, the reminder that this life, this joy, this perfect reality was just that. It was  _ real,  _ and that it was his to keep.

"Okay, fine. I'll wear a tie. Will that make you happy?"

And the wider smile he got in response to the sarcastic question was more than enough to make the temporary discomfort worth it.

-

The restaurant was far nicer than anywhere else they'd had dinner before, and Deke stopped in the doorway just to look around. There were small, lantern-shaped candle holders on every table with minimal electrical lighting overhead, bathing the entire space in a golden glow. The entire atmosphere was  _ romantic,  _ and while that wasn't a  _ bad _ thing, it was a new experience.

Since they'd told SHIELD about their relationship, they'd expected things to change, but Mack and everyone else had been supportive. Trevor was allowed to not only stay in the area, but also to stay on as Deke's handler, so to speak. It would be easier to keep an eye on what he did when they lived together, anyway, or that was the logic that Yoyo had used to convince Mack that all of the paperwork to make the transfers he was considering wouldn't be worth it. Them being  _ together _ didn't change the quality of the reports that were sent back to the Lighthouse, not when things with the company were so steady and easy since the random alien attacks had stopped.

With that lack of change came a routine - date night usually included a movie and popcorn on the couch, or a homemade meal, or just sitting together while they scroll through their phones. Life had become so simple and domestic, and seeing this level of effort put into a night that didn't require it was almost overwhelming.

Fingers wrapping around his wrist and giving his arm a gentle tug was all it took to pull Deke back to reality so they could be led to a table, A twist of his arm and he could hold onto the narby hand, instead, something that fed into the warm feeling he didn't try to shake off. For however long it lasted, they could be close and romantic and everything could be perfect. If his luck in the past was anything to go by, he didn't know how much longer it would last, and savoring every second of it was the only solution he knew.

Even the menus set in front of them seemed excessively fancy, the thick paper not protected by any amount of plastic, and he was hesitant to touch them. Everything was nice, and  _ clean,  _ and if he thought about it too hard, he felt bad for even  _ thinking _ about not wearing a tie. Surely, not dressing in his finest clothes to a place like this would have been grounds for an execution.

"Are you okay?" A knee rested against his own under the table, keeping his thoughts on the fact that they were on a  _ date, _ not on trial. "I know it's really nice, and it's probably a little weird. We can go, if that will make you more comfortable? I just wanted to talk to you about something, but the setting doesn't  _ really _ matter. I'll just wave down the hostess, and-"

"Trevor, we don't have to leave. It's fine." Shifting his weight, Deke gently nudged the knee closest to his and let himself smile. It was different from what they were used to, but that didn't make it  _ bad. _ And then, all at once, his mind caught up with the words that had been said, and the differences suddenly seemed  _ terrifying. _ Talking about things didn't have to be bad, but if the elaborate setting was  _ for _ the conversation, then it must be important. Right? Very few important things in their world were ever  _ good,  _ and he tried to run through the worst case scenarios for the one that seemed the most plausible. "Oh my god, you're breaking up with me, aren't you?"

"What? No, I-"

"You're being reassigned, then? I mean, I knew that it would happen, eventually, but I didn't realize it would be so  _ soon." _

"No, it's not-"

"Did something happen? Is everyone okay? Oh my god, Nana and Bobo-?"

"Everyone is  _ fine, _ as of this afternoon, now can I-"

"Is it-?"

_ "Deke. _ Close your eyes and put your hand out." He started to move, only to be stopped before he could even do as he was told. "No, your right one. You're anxious."

Taking a deep breath, he made himself close his eyes and put his hand down on the table, palm up. It wasn't a  _ new _ system, the fingers that gently ran over his skin before slipping under his sleeve, and he trusted his gut - the soft contact against the scar there didn't make him flinch, which meant it probably wasn't going to be a  _ bad _ conversation, and Deke managed to slowly let himself relax.

"So..." Trevor's voice was low, just loud enough to reach his ears without him having to strain to understand the words, and that helped his current anxiety situation even more. "I'm definitely not breaking up with you, I promise. It's, uh... I've been thinking, lately, about the future, about  _ our _ future, and we've been together for a little over a year, now, right? That's... a little longer than I think either of us expected this to last." The continued steadiness of his fingers contradicted the hesitancy in his words, and it was his turn to take a deep breath before the touch disappeared for a few moments. "And I was going to wait to do this until dessert, because I was gonna order this lemon cream pie I was reading reviews about, but... I don't think I can actually wait that long. Because you're right. I will probably get reassigned, eventually, and when that happens, when will I have the time to ask this..."

Something was gently set into the still open palm on the table, the weight of the box combined with the velvety feel of it making Deke's eyes fly open. It was hard to mistake the ring box for anything else, even before he really got a good look at it, and things clicked into place - the nice restaurant, the ties, needing to discuss something. And that something was very, very  _ good. _

"Yes. Absolutely, yes. You should have  _ started _ with this."

"You didn't even let me  _ ask..."  _ The candle between them flickered, then, and he lifted his gaze from the still unopened box in his hand to watch the way the undeniable happiness and love shone in his boyfriend's gaze. Between the mimicked lantern glow around them and the warmth that had settled in around their table, this moment was far too precious and perfect for them to need any more words.


End file.
